Robert Brand depones, that about the month of June 1738, he, the deponent, saw James Thomson, Dean of Guild's officer, carrying out of George Mackie's house (where Peter Williamson was quartered at that time) a parcel of books, bound or stitched in blue paper; the deponent does not know the number of them.

Depones, that thereafter he saw a servant maid of George Mackie's coming down stairs of Mr Mackie's house, after the town officer had come out of it, and the deponent asked her what was the matter; and she answered him, that it was the town officers carrying away Mr Williamson's books to the clerk's chamber, where Mr Williamson was himself, this was the second burden of them.

George Mackie depones, that two or three of the town officers came to the deponent's own house, and he saw them carry away all the copies of the said pamphlets or books, and the said Peter Williamson was along with the officers, and they were carried to the town-house.

Depones, that he saw some of these drop by the way, as the officers were carrying them to the town-house, but he does not know how many copies were so dropped, neither did he see Peter Williamson take up any of the dropt copies.

Depones, that when Peter Williamson was appointed by the magistrates to find bail for his appearance to stand trial on the complaint against him, at the insistence of the Dean of Guild and Procurator Fiscal, and when he was put in prison till he should find the said bail, he, the said Peter Williamson, sent for the deponent to speak to him and to bail him: Accordingly the deponent came up the tollbooth stair, and found him confined in that part of the prison opposite to the door of the court-room, and the deponent spoke to the said Peter Williamson through the bars of the door of the place where he was confined; and that the said Peter Williamson desired the deponent to become bail for him, and he the deponent became bail for his appearance before the Magistrates, and he thinks he signed something for that purpose, and there-upon the said Peter Williamson was set at liberty; and the deponent had him over to his house, and presented him before the Magistrates the next day.

Depones, that after the Magistrates had pronounced sentence against the said Peter Williamson, he came over to the deponent's house, and told the deponent, that he had been threatened to sign a paper, obliging himself to go out of the town, and that if he did not sign the paper, he was threatened to be again imprisoned; thereafter, the said Peter Williamson hurried himself away out of the deponent's house in less than a quarter of an hour, leaving be- hind him some of his baggage, which he desired to be sent after him to Newcastle, and which the deponent sent to him accordingly.

Depones, that he was an inhabitant of Aberdeen from the year 1740, and that about the year 1741 downward to the year 1744, it was a custom for several of the merchants of Aberdeen to carry on a trade of transporting young boys and women to the plantations, of different ages.

Depones, that he knew the persons after-named were concerned in that way of trade, viz. George Garioch, John Elphingston, John Burnet, Alexander Gray, Lewis Gordon, and Andrew Logie, all merchants in Aberdeen, and James Smith, saddler there.

James Rattray depones, that some more than three years ago, the pursuer, Peter Williamson, was in Aberdeen, and being carried before the Magistrates by the town-officers, the deponent, as he understood Peter Williamson was a stranger, having been several times in company with him before that day, he went into the court-house, where he heard the clerk and some of the Magistrates, but cannot particularly say which of them, challenge the said Peter Williamson for selling and distributing the pamphlet libelled, reflecting upon the merchants of Aberdeen as kidnappers, and that they used very rough language to the said Peter Williamson, but he does not remember the expressions, not having given great attention thereto, at least, the expressions have now escaped his memory.

Depones, that before the deponent left the court, he saw the pursuer carried off by the town-officers, by order of the court, but knows not where they carried him to, further than that next day, or the day thereafter, the deponent happening to be in the house of George Mackie, inn-keeper, he was informed by the said George Mackie, that Peter Williamson was obliged to leave the town; and that he, the said George Mackie, had become bail to present him to the Magistrates any time within six months, under a penalty; and that both Mackie and his wife said to the deponent that he had been very ill used by the Magistrates.